Sea of Dreams
by Miss Learmont
Summary: Sakura and Syaoran are best friends. And they're falling in love. What will happen when Tomoyo comes in between them?
1. The Tennis Match

**Sea**** of ****Dreams****:**

**_By Chandramukhi_**

****

_Chapter 1: The Tennis Match_

"_You're late again."  
  
_

The cold words swept onto the chill morning air and quivered there. Brilliant shafts of sunlight streamed through the tiny windows and vainly lit up the gymnasium. There was a long net that stretched across the length of the gym, and behind it, stood a tall girl with short auburn hair, emerald eyes, a tennis racket and a very cross expression.  
  


"Not everyone makes it their priority to play tennis with you at daybreak, you know," the boy said carelessly. "You're lucky I even came at all."  
  


"Why?" the girl said, a note of defiance coming into her voice. "It's not like you to be scared - "  
  


"I'm scared of nothing!" The boy's amber eyes glared at the girl's emerald ones.  
  


"You're scared of nothing," the girl mimicked, "yet you lose to me every day in tennis."  
  


"What's the matter?" the boy said in a mocking voice. "Don't want to play?"  
  


She shrugged. "Give me a good reason not to. You lose all the time, anyway."  
  


"Just because I lost yesterday - "  
  


"And the day before that," she added.  
  


"Okay, fine, the day before that - "  
  


"And the day before _that_."  
  


"Okay, fine - " the boy paused for a moment, pondering. Then, his expression changed. "Hey!" he shouted.  
  


The girl smirked. "It's true what they say."  
  


"What?" he growled.  
  


"Is it true that where you come from, the sun rises an hour late?"  
  


"Yes."  
  


"So, where you come from, everything's an hour late?"  
  


"_Yes."  
  
_

"So, therefore, you too, catch on an hour late."  
  


"Look, can we just play?" he said menacingly.  
  


She served the ball. He missed it. As he went for the ball, he suddenly whipped around.  
  


"What was that about catching on late again?" he asked furiously.  
  


She shook her head, smiling. "An hour late," she said quietly to herself.  
  


  
-§-  
  


  
"That's not fair. You cheated," the girl complained.  
  


The boy glared at her. "Are you accusing Syaoran Li of cheating?"  
  


"No, I'm accusing the lamppost! Of course I'm accusing you of cheating!"  
  


"I'd be careful of who I was accusing, Sa - "  
  


"_Syaoran__ Li is a cheater! Syaoran Li is a cheater!" she shrieked.  
  
_

"Shut up!" he yelled.  
  


She glared at him, before turning off in a huff.  
  


"Thanks for the game, Sakura!" he yelled after her.  
  


He ducked as the ball came whizzing toward him. It hit his arm.  
  


"Why is her aim so good?" he muttered to himself.  
  


  
-§-  
  


  
Kinomoto Sakura walked in high bad humour back up to her room in her hostel. She greeted her roommate by throwing a pillow at her and flopped onto the bed.  
  


"What's up?" Mihara Chiharu asked.  
  


"Oh nothing. How did I end up being best friends with that jerk again?"  
  


Chiharu giggled. "Oh, you mean Syaoran?"  
  


Sakura narrowed her eyes.  
  


"Ya, him. How in the world did I end up hanging around - " she shuddered, "_him_?"  
  


"Oh, Sakura," Chiharu sighed, and propped herself against Sakura's bedpost. "Syaoran's a really sweet guy. You just have to give him a chance."  
  


"Are you saying that only because you've got a crush on him?" Sakura yelled.  
  


"Why would it bother you?" Chiharu asked innocently. "_You don't even like him, you're just his best friend, that's all - "  
  
_

"Yes!" Sakura shouted, "and I don't want you crushing on my best friend, got that?!"  
  


She ran out of the room. Chiharu smiled.  
  


  
-§-  
  


  
Syaoran stomped up to his room in his hostel. His roommate, Yamazaki Takashi looked up.  
  


"Fought with Sakura again?" he asked innocently as Syaoran sat down on his bed.  
  


"Fought?" Syaoran asked in a mockingly thoughtful voice. "I never fought. She's getting on my nerves with that temper of hers!"  
  


"What happened?" Yamazaki asked.  
  


Syaoran rolled his eyes.  
  


"Nothing. I served the ball, and by mistake it hit her in the face. Then she got all jumpy and kept calling me a cheater and - "  
  


"Is that why you're angry at her?" Yamazaki asked.  
  


"She accused _moi of cheating! Me! Syaoran Li! The leader of the Li clan! I never cheated; it was an accident - "  
  
_

He never got any further, for Yamazaki was rolling around in tears of mirth.  
  


"What?!" he asked indignantly.  
  


"Really, Syaoran, sometimes you act like a little kid. I mean, getting all worked up over a little thing Sakura said to you! She's a really sweet girl. . .and kinda hot too, now that you mention it. . ."  
  


"You keep your hands off - "  
  


"Whose girl?" Yamazaki asked innocently. "She's just your friend, right?"  
  


"Right!" Syaoran shouted. "And I don't need you on my best friend's tail, got that?!?"  
  


And he ran out of the room yelling "SAKURA!!" at the top of his lungs.  
  


"She's not going to be in the boy's hostel, you idiot!" Yamazaki yelled after him.  
  


A surprised silence greeted his words.  
  


  
-§-  
  


  
Sakura ran into the main lawn of the college. She didn't care if she was angry or not, she'd never stand Chiharu getting the attention that Syaoran normally reserved for her -  
  


  
_Thud_.  
  
Stars winked in front of Sakura's eyes as she ran into something very solid. She fell back, massaging her head.  
When she looked up, she saw Syaoran Li on the ground. It appeared that he had been running as well, and they had run smack dab into each other.  
  


"Syaoran?" she asked, growing dot-eyed.  
  


"Sakura?" Syaoran asked, and scrambled up.  
  


"Look, Syaoran, about that tennis game - " Sakura started.  
  


"I'm sorry about acting like a kid," Syaoran said quickly.  
  


"I'm sorry for accusing you of being a cheater," Sakura said meekly.

"Hey, I should've gotten used to it by now," Syaoran said.

There was an awkward pause.  
  


"Friends?" Sakura asked.  
  


"Friends," Syaoran agreed.  
  


They hugged.  
  


  
-§-  
  


  
**Disclaimer**: I own no one.  
  
**A/N**: Shoopid, shoopid first chapter. If y'all could just review, that would make me very happy.  
  
Cheers,  
  
~Chandramukhi


	2. Tomoyo's Arrival

**Sea**** of ****Dreams****:**

**_By Chandramukhi_**

****

_Chapter 2: Tomoyo's Arrival_

"Good morning Professor Daidouji," Sakura said as she passed the principal of the college.

"Ah, good morning Sakura," Professor Daidouji replied, not looking at Sakura, but shifting a few papers out of her arms so she could see past the tall pile of books she carried in her arms. "Do you think you could help me with these?"

"Not at all!" Sakura beamed. She reached up and took four or five books out of Professor Daidouji's arms.

"Where should I put these, Professor?" she asked.

"Follow me to the office," Professor Daidouji said, leading the way to the office. Sakura noted that in the presence of the long strides her principal normally used, there was a very pleased expression on her face.

"Er – Professor?" Sakura asked tentatively. "May I ask you something?"

"Permission granted, Sakura."

"I couldn't help but notice that you look rather happy today, ma'am," Sakura said, before hastily adding, "just generally," at the look on Professor Daidouji's face.

"Well…" Professor Daidouji started, "it's my daughter, Tomoyo. She…"

"Is she getting married?" Sakura prompted.

Professor Daidouji laughed. "Oh, no! Nothing of the sort. In fact, she's coming today from London."

Sakura whistled. "London?"

Professor Daidouji nodded. "She used to study in Oxford University – "

Sakura's eyes went wide. "_Oxford?!?" she asked._

Professor Daidouji laughed again. "Yes, Oxford. But then, there was an accident, and then I decided that I wanted her here, so that I could keep an eye on her. So, she's coming here. Oh, the office is the door on the right, not the left Sakura," she added, noting the direction in which Sakura had almost turned to.

"Er – yes, sorry Professor," Sakura said, going beet-red.

"Could you just drop the books off over there?" Professor Daidouji asked, stacking books onto her desk. Sakura followed suit.

"So…Tomoyo's coming here?" she asked.

"Yes. Oh, and, Sakura, could I ask just one favour?" Professor Daidouji asked.

"Yes?" Sakura replied, looking apprehensive.

"Do you think you could help Tomoyo around here a bit? It's only that the seniors are writing their final exams this week, and I'll be very busy. Do you think you could – help Tomoyo around, you know, _show her the ropes around here, if you understand what I mean?"_

"Yes, ma'am!" said Sakura, feeling very relieved. 

"Call me Sonomi when no one's looking," Professor Daidouji whispered. Then she winked. "Be off with you, young Sakura, then!"

Sakura bowed and left, feeling very special. Of all the students at her college, Professor Daidouji had chosen _her _to show Tomoyo around!

Of course, Syaoran would help. He had to! He was her best friend after all. Besides, if Tomoyo Daidouji looked anything like her mother, she was bound to be very pretty. Sakura giggled. Maybe if she could get Syaoran to talk freely with Tomoyo, he'd be less shy around girls. 

_I mean, of course, he's really open with me_, Sakura thought, _but that's only because we've known each other even since we were in diapers._

-§-

"Syaoran!" Sakura yelled, as Syaoran and Yamazaki turned around. Sakura noted only too quickly the expression of shyness and guilt on Syaoran's face. She could read him like a book, she had known him almost as long as she had known herself, after all.

"Well Li, what's up?" Sakura asked.

"Er – " Syaoran started, but then he blushed.

"Spill the beans, pal," Sakura said, folding her arms.

"I – um – " Syaoran started, but Yamazaki cut him off.

"There's this new girl. Holy geez, she's gorgeous!"

Sakura looked over Syaoran's shoulder. Lo and behold, was a girl making her way into the college. She had long, silky black hair that cascaded in masses down her back. Her face was spotless, no blemishes, no patches, nothing! Her eyes were a deep, amethyst purple and. . .

Sakura smiled. Then, she turned to Syaoran, whose face was beet-red and was deliberately looking the other way.

"So that's what you were doing!"

She gave him a playful shove.

"She's new here, she came from London, she's used to study in Oxford…want me to introduce you to her?" Sakura asked slyly.

Syaoran's face went, if possible, even redder.

"No – it's okay, Sakura – I really don't need to – stop – stop – STOP – "

Sakura grabbed his arm, however, and marched up to where the new girl was slowly taking in the pretty campus.

"Hi!" Sakura greeted her.

"Hi…" said the girl slowly, yet she wasn't looking at Sakura. Her eyes rested on Syaoran, who fidgeted nervously and looked the other way.

"My name is Sakura Kinomoto. And this is – "

"Syaoran Li," Syaoran mumbled, still not taking his eyes off of his nails.

"Oh…" the girl nodded.

Sakura grinned and leant close to the girl's right ear.

"He's a bit shy, especially around pretty girls," she whispered.

"Hey!" 

Sakura winked and stood up straight.

"It's been wonderful meeting you. My name is – "

"Tomoyo, right?"

For once, the new girl looked at Sakura. Her expression was confused. "Yes. My name is Tomoyo…"

"How did you know?" Syaoran asked Sakura pointedly. 

"Well, I was trying to tell you, today, I was talking to Professor Daidouji and – "

"Great. Now, if you don't mind, please don't bring that old woman up so early in the morning, okay?"

He turned to Tomoyo and failed to notice Sakura's wince. "The principal of our college, Sakura's her pet."

He winced as Sakura slapped his arm angrily.

"Ah…" Tomoyo nodded slowly, the smallest twinkle of amusement flitted in her eyes.

"So…where did you go before you came here, Tomoyo?" Syaoran asked, trying to bring up conversation.

"London," Sakura replied.

"Yes," Tomoyo nodded.

"London, that's wonder – " Syaoran paused, and turned to Sakura, frowning. "How did you know?" he asked again.

"Well, if you'd let me speak – I was talking to Professor Daidouji today, and – "

"I told you before, the mere mention of that old grouch will undoubtedly curse my academic career. Please…" he trailed off, again failing to notice Sakura's wince, and yet again, amusement flickered across Tomoyo's face.

"Grouch…" Tomoyo repeated, trying not to smile.

"Ugh, yah…so, Tomoyo, where exactly did you study in London?" Syaoran asked.

"Oxford," Sakura piped up.

Syaoran's eyes went round. "Oxford?! Wow, that's amazing – " he paused yet again. He turned to Sakura. "How did you know?"

Sakura sighed. "Well…today, I was talking to Professor Daidouji, and – "

"Yah yah yah, PLEASE…let the nightmare be," Syaoran said dismissively. Wince. Flicker. 

"You must really love your principal," Tomoyo said thoughtfully to Syaoran.

"Uh-hunh, yup – you're kidding me, right?"

"Hi, Professor Daidouji," Sakura waved. Syaoran sweat-dropped and turned around.

"Argh – hiiii…" Syaoran trailed off, looking at his shoes.

Professor Daidouji surveyed Syaoran with an expression of amusement.

"You are very lucky I didn't catch your little…intro back there, Syaoran. Make sure it doesn't happen again," she said sternly.

"Yes, Professor Daidouji," Syaoran said monotonously.

"Ah, Tomoyo!" Professor Daidouji said, her eyes lighting up. And then she frowned. "You do realise that I normally do not allow people to wear such short clothes in my college…"

Tomoyo looked at her halter top and short skirt and blushed.

"I'm really sorry," she said apologetically, "it's just that I just got back from London, and I haven't had time to unpack and – "

"May I?" Syaoran asked the principal.

"No!" she snapped.

"Thank you. Professor Daidouji, Tomoyo has just come back from London, where apparently, such short clothing is the fashion. As such, she hasn't had any time to unpack; she just had to wear whatever she found," Syaoran said swiftly.

Professor Daidouji's eyes narrowed.

"And you know this because…?"

"Tomoyo and I are childhood friends," Syaoran said.

"Really?" Professor Daidouji raised an eyebrow.

"Really, Mother," Tomoyo said cheerfully, putting an arm around Professor Daidouji's shoulders.

"Really, Moth – " Syaoran paused, looking horrified. "Mother?"

Sakura put an arm around Professor Daidouji's other shoulder.

"Mother," she said cheerily to Syaoran.

"Ah…Mother…" Syaoran said, trying to smile. "God, I'm dead," he muttered under his breath.

Professor Daidouji eyed him sternly.

"I'll be keeping an eye on you, boy," she said slowly. "I've got to go. Lots of work, you know…"

Saying so, she excused herself.

Syaoran turned to Sakura.

"I'm a goner!" he groaned behind Tomoyo's back.

Sakura patted his back sympathetically.

"Excuse me?"

Sakura quickly removed her hand from his back.

"…she's an old woman, a grouch and a n – " Tomoyo started.

"Nice mother?" Syaoran prompted.

"…nightmare…" Tomoyo finished. "…but, she's not that bad."

Smiling, she walked away.

"Flirt," Syaoran muttered under his breath.

Sakura tapped his shoulder.

"So?" she asked cheerfully. "What did you think of her?"

"Her?" Syaoran asked. "What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Oh, come on," Sakura said. "I've known you since we were in diapers. I know you almost as well as I know myself. I can read you like a book. And right now, if I've read the cards correctly…"

"Yes?" Syaoran asked, face beet-red.

"I think you like her," Sakura said slyly.

-§-

A/N: Was that short? I don't know if it was or wasn't. 

            I found this chappie kinda funny, actually. Nothing really happens, 'cept Tomoyo comes in, and that is news. –¤- Anyone else wonder how Sonomi Daidouji'll take it? –¤-

            PLZ R+R! PLZ PLZ PLZ!

            ~Chandramukhi


	3. Love is Friendship

**Sea**** of ****Dreams****:**

**_By Chandramukhi_**

****

_Chapter 3: Love is Friendship_

"Good morning, class!" Professor Takaishi said cheerily.

"Good morning, Professor Takaishi," the class chorused. Professor Kiki Takaishi taught English literature in the college and was a favourite among most students, Sakura included.

"As you all know, we've finished our last interpretation of Shakespeare's epic classic, _Hamlet. Now, today, I would like to start something __new, something I surmise you'll find rather _interesting_…"_

Sakura leaned forward in her seat, eyes wide. _I hope it's something good_, she thought to herself. _Hamlet was amazing, but that ghost scared me out of my wits…_

"…so, without further ado, let me start this unit with…"

She turned around and wrote three words on the chalkboard. **_ROMEO AND JULIET._****__**

Sakura's eyes went round. There was a considerable amount of "ooh"s  from the girls in the class.

"Yes," Professor Takaishi announced dramatically. "Romeo and Juliet. A timeless tale of hate, tragedy, death, fraud and…"

"_Love_!" the class chorused.

"Oh great," Syaoran muttered.

"So…first of all…if I were to say _Romeo and Juliet, what thoughts would come into your mind?" Professor Takaishi asked. Hands flew up. "Miss Daidouji?"_

Tomoyo blushed. "A rose," she said hesitantly.

"Interesting," Professor Takaishi said as she wrote down _rose underneath the first, bold **_ROMEO AND JULIET_.**_

"Now, what does the word _rose make you think of?" Professor Takaishi inquired. "Miss Kinomoto?"_

"Love," Sakura announced.

"Yes," Professor Takaishi breathed as she wrote down _love_ underneath _rose_. "Now…who can tell me…what is love?"

No one raised their hands; on the contrary, everyone looked confused.

"Anyone? Anyone? No one?"

Professor Takaishi looked around, scrutinising one worried face to the next. Then, finally, her gaze rested on one, _very_ worried face.

"Mr. Li," she said, "can _you tell me what love is?"_

Sakura sweat-dropped as Syaoran's face went red.

"Uh…_love_?" Syaoran stammered. He looked despairingly at Sakura, who shrugged and then, surprisingly, at Tomoyo. This seemed to compose him a bit.

"Love," he said, and took a deep breath.

"Love is friendship," he said finally.

Sakura's jaw dropped.

"If this girl can't be my friend," he pointed at Tomoyo, who was sitting behind him, "then I can't be in love with her. Friendship starts all relationships, especially love, and if the one I love is incapable of being my friend, then this love is wrong."

He spoke very clearly, and Sakura noticed his amber eyes had a glazed look about them.

"It's simple," came Syaoran's voice from far away, "love is friendship."

Then he added, in a much more natural voice, "Is that okay, Professor Takaishi?"

Professor Takaishi had been goggling at him in what seemed like awe. Finally, she found her voice.

"Indeed, Mr. Li," she said finally, "what a wonderful thought! Love, and friendship! Thank you for that _wonderful _suggestion!"

Professor Takaishi's voice trailed off, as Sakura struggled to absorb what Syaoran had just said.

-§-

Sakura was leaning against a tree, her knees drawn to her chest, and her arms wrapped around them. Her head was facing the sky, and her emerald eyes were glazed in thought. All she could remember was the way Syaoran had looked at Tomoyo.

_If she can't be my friend, I can't be in love with her…_

Was that a hint?

Did that mean he had feelings for Tomoyo?

Or…was it for someone else?

-§-

**Disclaimer:**If you read the previous two, it would be rather familiar by now.

**A/N**: I'm sorry if that was short, I just didn't have that much of a brainwave for this chapter, but I'll make up with the next, I promise.

~Chandramukhi


	4. Bowing to Three Women

**Sea**** of ****Dreams****:**

**_By Chandramukhi_**

****

_Chapter 5: Bowing to Three Women_

"Come on, Syaoran, you can run so much faster than _that_! Come on! Pump those arms! You call that a run?! My grandmother can walk faster than that! Come on, you're almost there! Just a bit further…"

Syaoran sighed. Sakura, though she was the best friend he'd ever had, worked him as hard and ruthlessly as a taskmistress.

"Not now, Sakura," he groaned, "my feet feel as though they're going to fall off."

She eyed him sternly. "That's what you get for lying around lazily. You realise that you haven't practised for three days! No wonder your legs have gotten all stiff! You haven't been working them out as often as you used to. What have you been doing all this time? Spouting Shakespearian poetry and chasing after To – "

"Well, what's all this?"

Tomoyo walked onto the race track and surveyed the scene interestedly: Syaoran, lying on the grass, panting heavily, and Sakura, standing on the bench, hands on her hips as she chastised him.

Sakura looked at her sharply.

"Nothing! Syaoran's getting lazy and he's got a track race coming up tomorrow and I've no idea how he'll come in first place, that Kintaro's done ten laps in 43 and a quarter seconds and Syaoran's only got 45 seconds flat, I've no idea what'll happen, Kintaro's going to come in first and _you're_ going to come in second and this is your last year in the running, you can't let him win, because you'll never hear the end of it; _how_ will Yelan take it, I've no idea, you've been dreaming of this ever since you were eight, remember all that, _Sakura, one day I'm going to be the fastest runner in Hong Kong, whatever happened to all that, you got lazy, that's what happened and so don't come crying to me when that rookie Kintaro beats you, you're so – "_

"Whoa, Sakura, take a break," Tomoyo said, breaking Sakura's rant off. "You know, it's nice to have a sharp tongue, but if you sway it the wrong way, it can cut off your neck!"

Sakura smiled sheepishly. "Right. Syaoran, do you want some juice? Juice?"

Syaoran got up and walked toward the juice pitcher, and gratefully poured himself a cup.

"So…" Tomoyo said thoughtfully, "you and Syaoran are best friends, right?"

"Uh-hunh," Sakura said, not looking at Tomoyo, "we've been best friends ever since we were little – "

"Then aren't you in love with him?" Tomoyo asked.

Sakura gaped at Tomoyo, her emerald eyes wide.

"Hello," Syaoran said, breaking off Sakura and Tomoyo's conversation. 

"Hi Syaoran…oh! You've got to _visit your relatives_! Don't you do that every Friday? It's Friday, you're going to miss the bus!"

Syaoran smiled at Tomoyo.

"That's okay, I can afford to not go this time – "

"I won't hear of it!" Sakura declared. "What will Yelan think? You must go, _now! Go!"_

And she pushed Syaoran off in the opposite direction.

-§-

Tomoyo made her way to the local church. She knew exams were coming up, and she wanted to pray for a bit. So, she decided to make her way to the church. It attracted her to it; its quiet beauty, its attractive solitude…somewhere away from the boisterous pandemonium of the college…

Or so she thought.

As soon as she sat down in front of the chapel and closed her eyes, she could hear whispers…coming from right beside her.

"Please Mother, there are exams coming, and you know that I am a bit weak in Japanese, so I'll just leave the rest to you – "

Tomoyo giggled silently to herself.

"Hello?" she prodded him gently on the shoulder.

Syaoran looked up slowly, and then his eyes registered on Tomoyo.

"Y…you?" he asked slowly, horror stamped across his features.

Tomoyo nodded, a smile playing on her lips.

"Don't look at me, look at her!" Syaoran commanded.

"Oh yes." Tomoyo closed her eyes in silent prayer, facing Mother Mary.

Taking advantage of Tomoyo's distraction, Syaoran scrambled to his feet and ran out of the church, silently vowing to himself that he would never, ever set foot in there…

"Where are you going?"

Damn. 

-§-

Sakura paced her room in the hostel, in deep thought. 

_It's so obvious…Syaoran's in love with Tomoyo…but then…what did he mean in English…love is friendship…_

Sakura sat down on her bed, her hands cupping her cheeks, elbows on her knees, puzzling over Syaoran's odd statement.

She remembered the way Syaoran had looked at Tomoyo in the band competition the previous day…

_                                                                                    ~§~_

_"…the main singers can't make it here, there's been a curfew in their area, we need two other singers, a boy and a girl…" Professor Daidouji had said._

_Sakura and Syaoran had been horrified. "What?!"_

_"Face it," Professor Daidouji said. "You two are the best singers we have. Now, unless you'd like to fail your year…"_

_Professor Daidouji had walked away._

_"But!"__ Sakura had called, "we don't even know the song!"_

_"Don't worry," Professor Takaishi had assured them, "Sonomi has a tape of the rehearsals. All she'll do is play that tape, with the voices already on it. All you two will have to do is move your lips in time to the voices!"_

_"Have you ever heard of a plan where so many things could go wrong?" Syaoran had muttered to Sakura._

_Syaoran__ and Sakura stood up on stage. All of a sudden, music turned on…_

_"…you are a foreigner…you won't be here for long…" a male voice blared over the speakers. So Syaoran had mimed it._

_"Hey, Sakura!" the guitar soloist whispered in Sakura's ear. "This is the wrong song!"_

_Sakura closed her eyes in frustration and panic._

_"Hey!" someone in the crowd had cried. _

_"What the heck is going on?"_

_"This number sucks!"_

_"**BOO!"**_

_And then, the power went out. A beautiful tune could be heard playing on the guitar. It was someone in the audience, making their way up onto the stage. It was a girl, with long dark hair, wearing a very short, sparkly, sequin-covered light purple dress that had spaghetti straps, a back made of crossed strings and a short skirt coming up to her mid-thighs._

_Tomoyo__ Daidouji._

_In her arms was a guitar, which she was playing quite expertly._

_"I found someone," she sang softly, and beckoned with her eyes for them to improvise along with her._

_"I found someone," Syaoran echoed._

_"I found someone," Sakura echoed, altering the tune a little._

_                                                                                    ~§~_

Yet…in those three words, Sakura could tell Syaoran meant every word of it. The way Syaoran had pointedly danced only with Tomoyo…

What about her, though?

For some reason, hanging around with Syaoran seemed to be more fun than usual, and she was noticing lots of odd things happening…

For the first time in her life, she'd noticed his piercing amber eyes, that messy chestnut hair, that delicate nose, those cheeks which were red more often than not…

For the first time, she noticed butterflies in her stomach every time she thought of him…

For the first time, she noticed her breath catching in her lungs every time she saw him…

For the first time in nineteen years, she realised the rush of blood flowing to her face was not there for the mere purpose of circulation…they were there for one, and one only…

_I love you, Syaoran…_

-§-

Syaoran faced Tomoyo who had stood up in front of the chapel and was now facing him.

"So…your relatives live here?" Tomoyo asked, with the slightest suggestion of laughter in her voice.

Syaoran looked at the ground. "Yeah…"

"Pardon?"

"I mean, no…I just come here every Friday…"

"Oh…" Tomoyo nodded. "So, Syaoran Li comes to the church every Friday."

"Yup."

"How sweet!" Tomoyo smiled.

"Don't call me sweet!" Syaoran said. 

"Then why did you lie at college?" Tomoyo demanded.

"Well…the thing is…boys don't normally go to the church…if I told the truth, they'd all laugh at me…except Sakura, of course…but she keeps my secret…anyway…I just say I visit my relatives…it makes more sense that way…"

"Oh…" Tomoyo nodded again, "so you're scared that people might laugh at you if they found out that you visit the church?"

Syaoran nodded.

"How sweet!" Tomoyo said.

"Well, actually, to tell you the truth…" Syaoran started, "my father used to tell me this before he died…it was a long time ago…he used to say that a man should bow to three women. The first is Mother Mary. The second is Mother. And…"

"And?" Tomoyo asked, enchanted.

Syaoran shrugged, smiling. "And. Anyway, I have to get back to college. See you, Tomoyo!"

"Wait, Syaoran – " Tomoyo started, but Syaoran had already run off.

-§-

Tomoyo was lying on her bed, immersed in a small paperback book. Red lettering spelled out _The Terrorist_. She was so immersed into the little book that she didn't even hear her name being called to her from the window.

"Tomoyo! _Tomoyo!"_

Tomoyo whipped around...and almost screamed – for, at the window, was Syaoran Li, leaning on a ladder.

"_Syaoran?" she hissed, and ran to the window. "How'd you get here? Who lent you the ladder?"_

Syaoran shrugged. "The manservant. He said he'd give me anything if I gave him a new lunchbox."

Tomoyo giggled. "Yukito _is a bit dense, I should have known he'd be behind this."_

"He's a nice guy, you know – "

"Do you want to come in?" Tomoyo asked.

"Well, that's alright, but, if you insist – " Syaoran climbed into the room. He picked up the book on Tomoyo's bed.

"Are you reading this?" he asked her with interest.

"Yup," Tomoyo answered, snatching it away from his grasp.

"Oh…" he said and read the back of the cover. "Oh! Isn't the book where the girl's brother gets blown up by the girl's friend because she wanted his passport to escape to America to avoid getting married to this 50-year-old guy?"

Tomoyo closed the book. "Thanks," she said, clearly annoyed.

"Oh, no problem," Syaoran said. "Actually, you shouldn't waste your time reading books like those. Any questions, just come to me, and I'll tell you everything."

"Okay," Tomoyo said. "So how does the story go?"

"Oh, well the boy gets handed this package bomb, and it explodes and he dies and his sister goes crazy trying to figure out who did it, and then her friend invites her to a slumber party and then she asks for the brother's passport because – "

"No!" Tomoyo interrupted. "Not _this_ story. The _other_ story."

"Other story?" Syaoran asked. "What other story?"

"The one you told me at the church – "

"What church?" Syaoran asked indignantly.

"The one you go to every Friday."

"Oh."

"You were telling me a story there – "

"Really?"

"Yes, about a man bowing to three women – "

"Uh-hunh."

"One is Mother Mary – "

"Yes?"

"The second is Mother – "

"And…"

Syaoran looked at her, puzzled. "And?"

"_And_," Tomoyo looked at Syaoran expectantly.

"And?" Syaoran took no hint.

"Syaoran!" Tomoyo cried.

"Tomoyo," Syaoran said.

"Syaoran!"

"_Tomoyo!"_

Syaoran shook his head and pointed to the door.

"Mother?" Tomoyo asked, horrified.

"Grouch," Syaoran replied.

"Shut up! Syaoran you've got to leave – "

"A man bows to three women – "

" - Mother's coming, she'll have a field day if she finds you here and – "

" – one's Mother Mary, one's Mother and – "

" – and – "

" – _and_ – "

Syaoran grabbed Tomoyo's shoulders, silencing her. Without a word, he closed his eyes and inclined his head, in what was unmistakeably a bow.

"_And_," Syaoran said. Then he made his way to the window and climbed down the ladder.

-§-

The manservant of the Daidouji household, Yukito, ran outside wildly.

"Okay then," he said to himself, "the thief has gone up into the little mistress's room, using this ladder! Now, I'll use this ladder to climb into the little mistress's room and catch him myself!"

He climbed the ladder stealthily. Syaoran, who was already on the ground, tapped him on the shoulder.

"What?"

"Flashlight," Syaoran said.

"Toss it here!"

Syaoran tossed it into Yukito's outstretched hand. Then, he ran quietly away.

Yukito suddenly whipped around.

"A ghost gave this flashlight to me!" he said to himself. "That's okay! I'll just…cover myself up and become a ghost too! That way, the ghosts will become scared of me and run!"

He covered his face with his cloak and tried to climb, but his feet kept missing the rungs.

"Have – the _rungs turned into ghosts too?" he asked himself._

Sonomi walked in on this strange scene.

"Yukito!" she cried, whacking him on the back. "Why are you sneaking into your own house?"

-§-

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing.

**A/N:** That might have been a bit useless, but at least it was long – considering my standards…

Ah well…

Review, review, review!

_~Chandramukhi_


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